Burbank High School Graduating Class of 1967 blog. See photos and read messages from the past and present!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Happy Trails: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

Who remembers Roy & Dale? I work with some young people who never heard of 'em - lol!

FROM WIKIPEDIA:Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), was a singer and cowboy actor, as well as the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants chain. He and his second wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino Trigger, and his German Shepherd Dog, Bullet, were featured in over one hundred movies and The Roy Rogers Show. The show ran on radio for nine years before moving to television from 1951 through 1957. His productions usually featured a sidekick, often either Pat Brady, (who drove a jeep called "Nellybelle") or the crotchety Gabby Hayes. Roy's nickname was "King of the Cowboys". Dale's nickname was "Queen of the West."

Posting this because Alan Landros mentioned in a recent email that his parents knew Roy Rogers and Dale Evans! They all attended Dr. Jack MacArthur's church in Hollywood before he was born and his folks along with his uncle sang on MacArthur's radio program, "The Voice of Calvary" every week along with Dale Evans Rogers.

I asked him if he ever met Trigger as a kid and Alan replied: I never met Trigger alive, but I have seen him "stuffed" in their Apple Valley museum.

Below is a great video clip of Roy singing 'Don't Fence Me In' in the 1944 movie, 'Hollywood Canteen' (my cousin, Joan Leslie, was also in this movie) - here is the movie trailer.

3 comments:

As a kid I was far more interested in space than cowboys. But I discovered Roy Rogers and Gene Autry films in my 40's, and have quite a few gathered in my collection.

What's nice about them is that they are absolute straight-shooters... that whole movie "Code of the West" thing. Always good, always trustworthy, always faithful. Well-intentioned, kind to strangers, wholesome and praiseworthy. It's truly refreshing to see that these days.

By all accounts Roy and Dale were wonderful people in real life as well... how many times can you say that about entertainment celebrities?

So count me in as a Roy and Dale fan.

BTW: The best Roy Rogers film (I think) is "My Pal Trigger." "Heldorado" is also great. Both from 1946. If you can only see one Roy Rogers film, it should be one of those.